Fast Forward
by Brad Clarke
Summary: Andy's teenage brother David shows up at the manor with some painful secrets.


1 Prue moved another chair into the lounge room with her powers; she wanted the place to be perfect. The doorbell rang and she walked over telling herself she was prepared, and wouldn't cry.  
  
2 Her heart broke as he walked up the stairs. Tears started to fall as she stared at his jeans, his yellow top and spiked up hair; he even had a tan.  
  
"Your gorgeous." She cried as she wrapped her arms around him.  
  
She pulled back and let the tears flow, before her stood a man, not any man though, the man she promised to protect as Andy died.  
  
"Prue, you're suffocating me here." David said with a laugh, his face was buried in her chest as she cried.  
  
David was seventeen now and sounded a lot like Andy. Prue couldn't help but go back in time to when she sat in Andy's car when they were eighteen, her first time.  
  
"You can't read minds can you?" Prue asked with a smile as she let go of him and looked him up and down again. "Your mother called and said how your dad died. I'm truly sorry, I loved him."  
  
David put his backpack down and put his hands in his pockets. "He was a good guy, yeah." He said before he quickly changed the subject. "Where's Piper?"  
  
"Oh I forgot." Prue said as she stepped aside and let him in. "You had a little crush on her didn't you? She's married now but I'll tell her husband to look out, a Trudeau is in the house."  
  
"Don't think you'll have to worry about that Prue. How long did mom talk to you?" He asked as he took a seat.  
  
Prue turned serious and sat down next to him, she put her hand on his arm and noticed he'd been working out. She wanted to say something like 'your just like your brother'.  
  
"Ah, not a lot. She said your dad died from a heart attack in Ireland while they were on holiday with family and they are having the funeral over there. David, I'm so sorry…"  
  
Phoebe came walking from the kitchen holding the book of shadows and saying "Lillipth, lippipith…" Followed by Piper.  
  
A strange feeling came over David, Prue had been sitting next to him and Phoebe had been holding a book but in an instant the girls were standing together with nervous smiles and no book.  
  
"How did…." He asked.  
  
"David it's great to see you." Piper said running over and hugging him. "I'm so sorry, we all are."  
  
"Yeah. Were here to help.' Phoebe said with a smile.  
  
David stood up and grabbed his bag. "It's no big deal really. Thanks for letting me stay for a few weeks. Can I go to my room? I'm all worn out.'  
  
Prue nodded and he followed her from the room, leaving Piper and Phoebe standing together.  
  
"He's a great kid." Piper said with a small smile. "Two deaths in two years.'  
  
"Why isn't he there?" Phoebe whispered.  
  
"Where?" Piper asked like she'd wanted to ask that herself.  
  
"Ireland, his dad is dead. Why wouldn't he go there?" Phoebe asked as she looked Piper up and down, she was in her robe. "Andy's dad was real old fashioned wasn't he? Liked his men to be men."  
  
"So." Piper asked, wondering why Phoebe was looking at her.  
  
"So, what if they had a fall out of some sort? David doesn't seem to care about his dad dying. And he didn't once look at you Piper, though he used to love you.' Phoebe once again whispered as they stared at the stairs.  
  
"It's great Prue." David said as he dumped his backpack on the bed and looked around the spare room.  
  
"You didn't bring much." Prue thought out loud. "I've got some of Andy's things in my room. You can have them. Shirts, pants, razor… Oops why would you need that?" Prue said as she left the room to get the clothes.  
  
"I'm not the four year old any more Prue." David called after her. "Anything Andy had would be fine."  
  
David remembered why Andy the last time he saw his brother alive.  
  
(Flashback – Two years ago)  
  
  
  
Andy pushed the door open of his parents home. The rain poured down outside as he took his grey jacket off and dropped it on the ground.  
  
The house was large, with a lot of rooms and furniture set in the Victorian style like the home they once lived in at San Francisco. He couldn't see anyone around.  
  
"David? Mom?" He shouted out.  
  
"Why the hell is he here? Did you call him?" Andy's father shouted from the second call.  
  
"I did, stop shouting at her!" David yelled back.  
  
Andy remembered his father when he was angry. His poor mother would do the best to stop the fight, and usually coped a lot of yells for her trouble.  
  
As Andy ran up the stairs he remembered the phone call. "Andy, get here now. I can't explain but he's going over the top." His brother said angrily.  
  
"What's going on?" Andy asked. He walked into the room to see his brother slouched on the ground in the corner, his mother standing next to her husband who was leaning over David.  
  
"I'm glad you're here." Florence said quickly. 'It's just a small argument that's all."  
  
Andy looked to his brother, trying to read his face. The tears spoke more than words, it took a lot to get to David.  
  
"I'm glad you're here too Andrew." Mr. Trudeua said loudly, sporting a large black eye.  
  
"Who gave you that?" Andy asked.  
  
"Oh my." Florence said seeing it for the first time. "Let me get a cold pack." As she left the room.  
  
"Your brother." Dad said unusually quietly.  
  
Andy looked at David and at his father. For some reason they didn't want to say what the fight was about. So they waited.  
  
"He called me a fag." David finally spitted out.  
  
"Why the hell would you call him that?" Andy asked. He knew his father who was once a cop himself didn't use that word to lightly.  
  
"Caught him in a chat room…"  
  
"David. Dinners ready, do you want any?" Piper asked shaking him from his daydream.  
  
"Yeah thanks Piper." He said quietly as he looked at the picture of Andy that was hanging on the wall. Of all the things he wanted to be kept from Andy, that had to get out.  
  
Dinner was quiet, the four sat around the table eating away at Piper's delicious hamburgers and fries she had made quickly, she remembered it as David's favourite.  
  
"So we have a man around the house." Phoebe said trying to make up conversation. "You're probably used to lots of guys David, but we aren't." Phoebe said with a smile.  
  
"She means around the house, you grew up with Andy and your dad. Isn't that what you mean Phoebe?" Piper asked, she was embarrassed.  
  
David looked at Prue who seemed totally oblivious to what had just happened.  
  
"Yeah well I'm sure I'll manage with three beautiful woman." He said nervously with a smile.  
  
"Always a bachelor." Prue said with a smile, she was proud.  
  
Prue led David in the TV room and sat him down as Piper and Phoebe bought out some drinks.  
  
"Now David I'm not going to spring this on you, but a Andy had made a video message to be sent to his family if anything happened to him before he died." Prue said quietly as she glanced up at Piper and Phoebe. Andy knew he was going to die, but he felt it was worth it to save them.  
  
"Why haven't I seen it before?" David asked.  
  
"Sweetie, he wanted you alone." Prue explained. "And you will be. You can watch it and we will leave the room."  
  
David nodded and Prue handed him the remote as she left with her sisters to the attic. None of them had dared watch the message, it wasn't for them.  
  
PLAY flashed across the screen and Andy appeared. He was sitting in his lounge room, wearing an old white college T- Shirt and a pair of jeans tossing a foot ball in the air. He seemed nervous, but was trying to hide it.  
  
"David I take it if your seeing this I am in fact dead, and Prue's given you this tape. So, where to start?" Andy said as he looked into the camera. The screen suddenly zoomed right onto Andy's forehead before it zoomed back out.  
  
"Sat on the camera remote." He said with a chuckle. "Listen mate all I wanted to say is you've always been my younger brother, the guy I wanted to protect and you know and be there for. So I'm going to give you some advice, and I want you to remember it.  
  
'Firstly, if there is any trouble and you have to have a holiday from dad than go to Prue and the girls. They know how to made a Trudeau feel at home, and I know they can protect you from anything.  
  
'Secondly I've always thought you should go into the police force (David let out a small laugh). You're a tough guy, tougher than I am and you could handle anything. If you see anything with horns run… don't ask." Andy said with a smile.  
  
'And thirdly you have to be yourself. Don't let old guys like dad tell you who you have to be. I'm not going to sit here and be like the guys on Oprah and say I understand what you've taken up. But hey, you're my brother and you're a decent guy. Don't tell Prue this, but mom didn't want me to see Prue, and did that stop me? Hell no." Andy laughed again and looked at his watch. "Time fly's you know. I have an appointment at the Halliwell house I have to get to. Just know that I'm there looking out for you right now. And do me a favor keep an eye out for the Halliwells for me."  
  
STOP flashed across the screen and David walked into the kitchen, he was shaking.  
  
"Are you ok?" Prue asked.  
  
"Yeah." David said putting his hands into his pockets. "He just fast forwarded me to reality."  
  
"You know David, your mom is staying in Ireland for a few months. Your welcome to stay here.' Phoebe offered.  
  
"We'd love you too David." Prue said again. "You can go to school, make new friends."  
  
David saw he would be able to fit in here, be himself.  
  
"I've got to tell you something about myself. It's always been a secret." He said nervously.  
  
Phoebe smiled. "You're going to be here for a while. Whatever you have to tell us is nothing compared to what we have to tell you!" 


End file.
